


Key of Hope

by SoraHinari



Category: Persona 3, Persona Series
Genre: Angst and Feels, Love Confessions, M/M, Memories, Monologue, Post-Canon, Promises, Sad, Unrequited Love, aka Ryoji needs emotional support
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-11
Updated: 2020-03-11
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:28:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,456
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23103247
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SoraHinari/pseuds/SoraHinari
Summary: After Minato made himself the Great Seal, Elizabeth left with a goal to bring him back and end his suffering. With Ryoji to her side she investigates Minato's situation 24/7, but the essence of Death, feeling at fault for Minato's ending cannot stay idle over books and researches. Visiting Minato helps Ryoji open up a bit and make himself believe that there is actually hope.
Relationships: Arisato Minato & Mochizuki Ryoji, Arisato Minato/Mochizuki Ryoji
Kudos: 28





	Key of Hope

**Author's Note:**

> So I just ship these two dorks and wanted something sad but hopeful for those two. Nothing more nothing less.  
> Just a lil small drabble!  
> English is not my first language but I hope you enjoy this nevertheless!

The library Elizabeth decided for them to settle this time was vast, someone could lose himself in it, of course not Elizabeth, she knew that place by heart. After all it was not the first time they went there for information during the past year. One year after the fall of the Avatar of Nyx, one year after balance was restored. One year since Ryoji started helping Elizabeth to relieve Minato from his pain and torture. At that moment, the white haired woman was noting down something from a book while above her stood a menacing black figure, more compact that usual to not obscure Elizabeth's vision or pull eyes on them from other visitors. Sadly the Persona's heavy sighs didn't go unnoticed since immediately Elizabeth slammed the book she was reading shut, earning her a look from the white skull like creature. 

"If you are going to sigh over my head, please do move to an other location to do so." That earned her a questionable tilt from the Arcana of Death "Please... Ryoji..." At the sound of his human name the spirit sighed, nodded and dissipated into thin air.

* * *

Heavy steps could be heard in the little pathway to the door and its seal, heels clicking against whatever material someone could say that was, little did it matter to him anyways. After some moments he was standing again in front of the sight he so well knew. Letting out another sigh, Ryoji slicked his hair back even more and held the end of his scarf with both hands while eyeing at the stone decorating the entrance. He felt a sick feeling turning his stomach upside down and a clench in the middle of his chest, a burn inside his throat didn't allow him to let out a cry he desperately wanted to. Letting go of his yellow scarf the teen looking male placed his hands on top of the statue's cheeks, it didn't have a point, he would get no response but he at least wanted to feel like Minato was still there, like he was still alive. 

"Hello Minato... Hah, it is pointless to start with a greeting isn't it? It won't make me look more cool or anything, most likely it will make you think I am desperate, not that you would be wrong. I am indeed, desperate for you to return back, your friends are missing you, probably you know that already though. I bet you know everything and I bet you are already tired of your situation even if you are the one who doomed yourself... Better than dooming every other being in existence I suppose, huh Minato?" Ryoji made a pause and lowered his hands. Placing them in his pockets he turned his back to the Great Seal and closed his eyes, for some reason the small breeze that the dimension space they were in had made his scarf wave backwards slightly before he continued. "You also obviously know that I miss you too right? Ever since you bounded yourself with this fate I cannot even invade your privacy and speak to you through your thoughts... It is truly annoying you know! I was used to sit side by side with you, discussing anything you wanted really... I could even tell you more about myself if you so desired... You seemed pretty intrigued about things you weren't used to be before I remembered who I was so, I don't know maybe my likes and dislikes would even be fun for you to know? Just a thought really..."

His back trembled, his whole body shook, Ryoji could feel the stinging in his eyes becoming slowly unbearable before finally letting out a shaky breath trying to calm himself down. Blue eyes slowly opened again, coming face to face with Minato's empty ones, and Ryoji thought that he had seen those eyes lifeless back in Earth... If someone told him that they would truly be lifeless in a reality far away from that day, Ryoji would laugh it off and shake it head at how stupid it sounded. Slowly Ryoji's sad eyes traveled from Minato's face to his torso, seeing a new crack forming to the stone close to his heart. Letting out a loud gasp he didn't hesitate to run there, even if his other half was tied by wires just a few steps away, and place a palm on top of the chipping away material. He knew it would fix itself eventually, he saw many cracks from whenever Erebus was around trying to break the seal... But nothing so drastic and so close to a vital point, at least to a human vital point. 

"Does... Does it hurt... Minato?" He whispered his question caressing the crack carefully as to not disturb the quiet that suddenly felt necessary to keep "I am sorry that you have to go through all of this Minato... I can promise you Elizabeth is doing everything in her power to find a way to get you back... I... I don't seem to be much of help though... I mostly annoy her with my apparent worry over you, pretty silly if you ask me." Taking a step back, his blue eyes still glued to the crack, Ryoji clasped his hands together and when they opened a beautiful silver butterfly with blue crystal wings emerged. Softly he placed it on Minato's shoulder, smiling nostalgically before looking upwards to his soulmate's stoned face. "This will keep you company for a bit... At least I hope it will..." Letting another sigh leave his lips Ryoji felt some wet residue on his under eye and quickly rubbed it away with the back of his hand "Okay, enough with all this... Elizabeth will be probably stressed enough time to snap out of my daily mourning hour and go help her, that way we will also get you back sooner don't you agree?" Taking a step back he winked with one of his hands resting on his hips and the other doing a finger gun. 

With a small smile Ryoji waved behind his back as he walked back the pathway he took to reach Minato's residing place. But before he left through the makeshift portal, his head turned for a bit, before mouthing something so quietly that probably only himself and ghosts could hear before returning back to his form as Thanatos by passing through dimensions, shifting again at Elizabeth's side, this time actually helping her with the research.

* * *

Within the silence of his own mind Minato noticed the butterfly snuggling against his neck where his pulse would be, closing his eyes in the mental image he had of himself the now Great Seal smiled and cherished the moment. But then his mind traveled back to everything Ryoji said to him, how emotions were clearly dripping from his every word and how truly in need he was of him. He wouldn't dare lie to himself anymore, it was pretty lonely there, back as a human he was used to Ryoji invading his thoughts as bad as that sounded, he had company, he had someone who he could confide in... Now he guessed that the tables turned. But as he slowly opened his eyes he remembered Ryoji mouthing the last thing he said before leaving, that started bothering Minato and he replayed the scene again and again in his mind before finally understanding that the other side of the coin he belonged had said to him _'I love you'_. 

_'Ryoji... I wish I could tell you how I feel but, I believe that one day with Elizabeth's help we will be physically reunited again. Until then, please, come and pour your heart out to me. Show me that at least my sacrifice had success in you. Show me your will to live, even if it is just to bring me back. And I promise Ryoji, if I ever come back... No... When I come back, we will go see the sakura blossoms bloom together as well... So please... Live, Ryoji.'_

And with that Minato's thoughts died, his mind back into that heavy silence, but this time it seemed more bearable, this time at least he had something to wonder off to instead of the empty room he was. That beautiful butterfly who was now circling him, dancing freely around his head with its wings wide open, just like how he wish he could be one day again... Free, dancing his worries away with the wind, finally at peace with himself and alongside his friends. Alongside Ryoji. After today, Minato had a new hope that maybe... Elizabeth and Ryoji had found a new light of hope to keep going, and for that... He was grateful.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading until the end!  
> Kudos are very much appreciated as well as any feedback!  
> I hope you liked it!


End file.
